


The Bond of Earth and Snow

by DeathViolinist



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Drug Abuse, Drugs, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gay, Gay Bashing, Gay Sex, Guns, M/M, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 08:22:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5368289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathViolinist/pseuds/DeathViolinist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are several kinds of species in the world: animals, humans, and now shifters. Humans that take on characteristics of their spirit animals, but they are rare, only around fifty on average within each city and in the smaller towns the average was less than five. The shifters held the same amount of rights as humans but some humans thought little of them. Follow a wolf and snow leopard on their journey through the life of a shifter in a human run world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Bond of Earth and Snow

There are several kinds of species in the world: animals, humans, and now shifters. Humans that take on characteristics of their spirit animals, but they are rare, only around fifty on average within each city and in the smaller towns the average was less than five. The shifters held the same amount of rights as humans but some humans thought little of them.

  
It was winter, twenty-two degrees outside and snow was falling down at a rapid rate . It an alleyway a tawny haired teen pulled out a blue tarp from the small backpack he carried and draped it across two dumpsters, creating a makeshift roof between the two garbage dumps.

  
A single cardboard box laid under the tarp roof and the teen crawled into it, using his bag as a pillow. He was dressed in dirty clothes and his brown hair and furry tail were matted, dirty and in a terrible mess. He was a shifter of course, a wolf as his spirit animal which was seen through his ears, eyes, tail and his slightly elongated canine teeth. Only recently was he scared off from his pack, his family, causing him to travel two towns over just to stay safe.

  
The teen settled down and clenched his hands close to his chest to preserve heat, his dirty bare feet sticking out of the box just enough to catch the falling snow, soon numbing them past the burning sensation. Caramel eyes absently stared at the opening of his makeshift home, realizing he was not going to be getting sleep anytime soon. Colors, sounds, and sensations all seemed to slowly fade away, vision falling into a silent and unconscious darkness.

  
Silver hair glowed light brown in the yellow street lights. Cobalt eyes shifted around lazily from one person to another, black and white ears twitching under the beanie on his head, matching tail curled around his waist under a heavy and unnecessary coat. The male stood at around five foot five and had been left behind by his pack when he was around the age of seven. He turned down the nearest alley, the stench of the humans being too much for his sensitive nose  
The shifter’s spirit animal, the snow leopard was visible by the ears and tail, but also by the unnatural cat like slit pupil in his eyes. Sweat pants hung loose on his hips and gathered at the ankles above his tennis shoe clad feet. Upon seeing a pair of feet up ahead, the scent of a wolf caught his attention and the male cautiously ventured forward towards the person under the tarp.

  
He stood in front of the other being and lightly poked at his feet in curiosity, wondering if the other person was still alive or not. His curiosity would be the death of him, but according to his heritage, he had another eight lives to spare.

  
Whitish blue feet twitched under the contact before the brunette shot up and pulled his feet towards himself and into the box as if it was going to protect him. Brown eyes that looked black eyed the person’s legs that were in front of him, after all that was the only thing he could see from his position on the snow covered ground.

  
The white haired male crouched down and looked at the other with a curious tilt of his head.

  
“Are you ok?” he asked softly, voice scratchy and barely above a whisper. His ears twitched again before he pulled his hat off in agitation, willing to show the other that he was also a shifter in hopes to make the other feel more comfortable.

  
The brunette was caked in mud and dried blood from already healed claw and bite marks from several days ago. Slowly, he sat at the edge of the cardboard box so that only his feet would touch the cold, wet, snowy ground. He nodded, looking at the fellow shifter with almost dead eyes and an exhausted expression, but he managed a fake smile, trying to prove he was going to be alright.

  
Brown eyes looked over the feline shifter from head to toe, taking in silver hair and blue eyes. It took a few moments for the wolf to respond, but his eyes widened just a fraction of an inch as he fully took in the other’s appearance. Silver hair sparkled in the pale moonlight, a faint glow radiated off of pale skin, cobalt eyes seemed as light as ice as they gazed down at the shivering figure.

  
The silver haired male frowned and stripped off his coat before tossing it towards the other, “Get up. Follow me,” he said and stood back up as he waited for the other, intent on letting him stay at his apartment at least for tonight. The feline was shocked by his own actions, he typically kept to himself and did not go out of his way to help other people. Helping others typically caused him to move towns again due to people turning him in for money, therefore he tended to ignore everyone around him.

  
The silverette was confused, he seemed to have been pulled towards the other male by an unseen force. Usually his spirit animal was like a ball of pure, undying rage that boiled beneath his skin, but for the first time that he could remember, he felt at ease as if all was right with the world and that nothing could go wrong. In all honesty, it scared the snow leopard, the constant feeling of anger was a sense of familiarity, not this sense of peace. It was unnatural. It was unwelcomed. It was, however, a sense of clarity, gratitude, and safety.

  
The wolf caught the coat with ease and shrugged it on before grabbing his small backpack and stood up. They were about the same height, maybe he was a little taller, but not by much and it was impossible to tell his age just by looking. He followed after the snow leopard when the shifter started walking. The consciousness of the wolf itself seemed to rouse from its own typical state of predator and entered one full of nothing but the desire to love and protect. Perhaps that feeling is what drove the shifter to not argue as he followed after the feline.

  
“Not that it matters, but my name is Calin Ninsoare,” The leopard said and glanced over his shoulder at the wolf, his tail still tightly wrapped around his waist as he walked, and seemingly not affected by the cold in the slightest. They soon arrived at an apartment complex and Calin led them around the back and up two flights of stairs before he pulled out his keys and stopped in front of his assigned room and opened the door before letting the other in first.

  
The wolf stepped into the apartment after rubbing his bare feet free from any snow or ice that stuck to them from the walk across town. Immediately he could feel the temperature difference and it made his skin prickle and his fur stick up in different directions. He quickly took off the coat and frowned; he had somehow managed to get the inside of it dirty.

  
“...Sorry, it is filthy now,” he said, having spoken for the first time since being run off. His voice was low, hoarse even and it was a miracle he wasn’t sick yet. He had to internally fight with himself to keep the urge to runaway at bay.

  
“Don’t worry about it,” Calin said with a careless wave of his hand as he closed and locked the door behind them.

  
“Come on, you need to shower,” he mumbled and led the wolf down the hallway, towards the bathroom, “go ahead. I will bring some clothes by in a few minutes.” The shifter pulled a towel out of the cabinet and placed it on the counter. He was not a big fan of dirt, but he ignored it in favor of making sure the other would be alright.

  
The wolf’s ears flicked in a thank you as he began to strip. His facial expression twisted showing his discomfort upon feeling his sore muscles and fading pain from his wounds. He was down to his boxers when he turned on the shower head and soon slipped in, shedding his boxers in the process. The warm water sent pleasant shivers through his body, albeit they burned with pain at the initial contact with his skin. The wolf’s posture visibly relaxed as he allowed the water to work wonders on his beaten body, loosen his tense muscles, soothe his aching wounds, and wash away the dried blood and mud.

  
The snow leopard nodded and closed the door behind him as he exited the bathroom and went to his room to hunt down some clothes for the other male. He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt and boxers that he folded and carried back to the bathroom.

  
“Your clothes are right outside the door,” he called lightly after knocking on the door and set the clothes down.

  
About an hour later, the brunette walked out of the bathroom, clean and looking fairly normal. His hair and tail were combed through with his fingers to get some, but not all of the tangles out. The harder tangles had proved to be too painful otherwise, therefore they had been left alone and were quite obvious now that the rest of his fur and hair were smoothed out.

  
Earlier, he had placed the dirty towel into the dirty clothes hamper that he found, but then shoved his old clothes into his bag to be worn later, when he left. The wolf took his time alone to observe the lack of decorations that would typically bring a sense of comfort, though this seemed to suit the leopard. The leopard seemed to be someone that distanced himself from the rest of the world, the way he acted showed minimal interaction with other beings, be it human or shifter.  
He walked out into the living room, his ears restless now that they were freed and because he had entered a new area, causing them to turn and flicker constantly as to not miss a single possibly important sound.

  
Calin had changed into a pair of his own sweatpants and had ditched his shirt. He was now sitting on the arm of the couch, reading a book. A half cup of milk was sitting on the small end table next to him. His tail thumped lazily against the couch as his ears twitched, signalling that the other had walked into the room, “Do you feel better?”

  
Blue eyes took their gaze from the printed page and looked up at the wolf, still holding caution, being that the other was a wolf, which tended to not get along with feline shifters of any sort.

  
The forest wolf nodded, a faint smile tugging at the edges of his mouth, “Much better.”

  
After replying, he settled down in the middle of the floor, looking at little trinkets on the coffee table that caught the attention of his dark brown eyes. His tail laid in his lap as he worked his claw like nails through the fur.

  
“Help yourself to anything you find in the kitchen,” Calin said and returned his attention to the book in his hands, “and you can sit on the couch you know.” He turned the page of his book and sipped from the glass of milk before shifting to partially lay across the back of the couch, on his stomach after setting the milk back on the table.  
Light tan, brown tipped ears perked and swiveled around before the wolf stood and walked into the kitchen just a tad too quickly, it had been a while since the last time he had food. He was just living on what other people fed him while he was on the streets, which wasn’t much.

  
He picked up a box of poptarts out of the cabinet and walked back into the livingroom and sat down on one side of the couch.

  
“My name is Haru Dyme,” he introduced himself, voice soft, his tail swaying from one side to the other when he opened the pastries.  
The feline shifter nodded and closed his book after folding the corner of the page down and placed the book on the table next to his milk.  
“So, what is your story?” He asked, curiosity getting the better of him as he rested his chin in the palm of his hand to watch Haru.  
The brunette ate the outside of the poptart, where it had no filling first, then the inside of the pastry as he spoke between bites.  
“I was driven away from my pack by my father and brothers. They never really liked me because I was the runt in the family. I don’t have any talents like them, nor do I particularly enjoy...bullying like they do.” He said, licking his fingers before grabbing another package, “Also because I am attracted to other males and...for something else.” He sighed unhappily as his ears flattened, showing his displeasure for the memory before he continued to speak, “My friend killed himself, and...everyone thinks it is my fault.”  
The snow leopard frowned as he listened. Calin didn’t know what it was like to have a pack, but from the way Haru reacted, it seemed to be important to him.  
“For what it is worth...I’m sorry that happened,” he offered quietly, an awkward hesitance in his voice.  
Haru shook his head, a sad smile formed, but his eyes burned with determination, “It’s okay, a wolf can’t really make it on his own. they say, but I am definitely going to try,” he replied as he finished the entire box of poptarts, “What about you, Mr. Calin?”  
“Drop the formalities, I can’t be much older than you, if at all,” he said and reached over to play with the fur on the other’s ear.  
“What do you mean?” he asked with a slight tilt of his head, in confusion.  
Almost immediately his tail began to lightly thump against the couch, Haru enjoyed being pet more than his family ever did. Sometimes he felt like he wasn’t a true wolf, but a house dog because of this, not that he was complaining.  
“Everyone has a story, whether is is good, bad, boring, or exciting,” The wolf stated as he watched the feline curiously.  
The snow leopard sighed and continued to pet the other.  
“I suppose you are correct, though mine isn’t the happiest or normalist of stories,” he replied as his ears twitched, eyes glancing over at the other male, wondering if he was really willing to listen to his story.  
Haru shifted to face the big cat as he listened, the empty poptart box sitting on his lap while his tail swayed in the air, “What happened?”  
“Short version is that my parents were killed by humans while I was at school. I came home to find them mutilated and a warning written on the wall in their blood. Then I became a criminal hacker, was arrested a few times for hacking into the FBI and Homeland, out of boredom. Then I moved here to get away from stuff,” Calin said lazily as he watched Haru’s tail.  
Haru’s expression lit up in astonishment, his dark eyes holding a small spark, his tail speeding up.  
“You’re a hacker?! That is so cool!” But then he quickly added, waving his hands around with his ears flat, “b-but that part with the parents isn’t! I’m sorry!”  
Calin shrugged and offered a slight smile, “I was never really close to my parents...I suppose being a hacker is pretty cool,” he said in reply and light pat Haru’s head.  
Haru’s tail quickened once again, continuing to smile as he looked up at Calin in awe, “That means you are smart! I only know how to read so it is really cool to me!”  
The snow leopard flushed at the compliment and looked away from the brunet, “I am not..” he mumbled as his tail twitched rapidly in embarrassment.  
“It’s true! Do not lie to yourself!” Haru continued with a toothy grin, showing off his white canines.  
“You are the very first big cat I’ve seen too; you aren’t as bad as people say big cats are.” He reached over and placed the empty pastry box on the table, tired of the sharp cardboard corners digging into his leg and stomach.  
“I guess we big cats really don’t have that great of a reputation,” Calin mumbled with a sigh. He flipped to lay on his back, along the back of the couch and turned his head to watch Haru.  
Haru kept smiling in Calin’s direction, “Isn’t that uncomfortable? It looks uncomfortable,” he said, referring to the leopard’s choice of position. The wolf tilted his head in confusion, “Don’t you want to lay on the couch properly?”  
The shifter produced a light and amused laugh, then shook his head, silver hair falling in front of his eyes as a result, “I’m fine. I am a cat, remember?”  
The wolf’s cheeks tinted in embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck, “I do!” Haru shifted so that he laid on the couch, his back touching the cushions.  
“It just looked really uncomfortable. Cats are weird...but you are a pleasant weird!” He said and quickly added the last part in hopes to not offend the wild cat shifter.  
Calin laughed again, “I suppose you are right,” he said in agreement and watched the wolf. The silverette moved his gaze around the room awkwardly, not really sure what else to say to keep the conversation going due to his limited interaction with people.  
Haru’s tail slowed to a stop and his breathing evened out, signaling that he had managed to pass out on the couch, curling into himself just enough to keep himself warm.  
The silver haired male gave a slight smile and sat up as he slipped off the couch and hunted down a blanket and pillow, which he then situated under the wolf’s head and covered him with. The cobalt eyed male turned off the lights, save for a small lamp that provided a faint light throughout the room.  
The snow leopard made his way to his bedroom and climbed into his bed before tightly curling up on top of the blankets, his tail tucked around his ankles as his hands formed loose fists that were held against his chest as he slowly fell asleep.  
The next day, Haru accidentally rolled off the couch and yelped in shock; for a brief moment he forgot where he was, but soon remembered and sat up. The blanket had wrapped tightly around his legs and arms, making escape almost impossible. His brown hair was strung all over the place, easily replacing the Seventh Wonder of the World. The wolf shifter looked around with a blank stare, trying to blink away the remnants of his exhaustion.  
The brunette managed to wiggle his way out of the trap before roaming around until he found Calin’s room. Slowly he peeked his head in before silently entering the snow leopard’s sanctuary. A stupid idea sparked in the back of the wolf’s mind, an idea he planned to carry out: Operation Wake Calin up. He put the plan in motion and dropped to his hands and feet and stalked over to the bed before jumping onto it, successfully landing on the cat.  
The shifter’s ears twitched are Haru stepped into his room, but not enough to wake the feline up. Calin let out a shocked mewl as the other jumped on him and he stared up at the wolf through his bangs, cobalt eyes wide in shock as he was awakened so suddenly.  
“Did I scare ya?” The wolf asked happily with a smug expression plastered on his face while one of his ears rotated towards the window, hearing the birds chirping away.  
Calin pursed his lips in a pout and looked to the side, refusing to answer the question as he too listened to the song of the birds.  
“Don’t be such a sour puss! Can you show me around the city after breakfast?” Haru asked with a bright smile, continuing to sit on the silverette.  
“I suppose,” Calin agreed with a slight shrug before he shifted to prop himself up on his elbows as he looked up at Haru, his tail brushing along the wolf’s arm.  
Haru smiled, now he could properly find a place to live with Calin showing him around, “Thank you!” The brunette took the gesture as a signal for him to get off, so that is what he did, slipping off the snow leopard and the bed in one go.  
The shifter moved and stretched out like a house cat would, arching his back as he reached for the other end of the bed with a high pitched yawn as his ears twitched.  
“I’ll be ready in a minute, what do you want for breakfast?” He asked as he climbed out of bed and headed towards his closet to find some clothes to wear for the day.  
Haru rolled his neck to the sides, popping the neck bone as he spoke, “Anything as long as it is not vegetables and eggs.” He left the room and out to the living room, back to the couch.  
The snow leopard nodded and changed into a pair of jean shorts and a tank top before he made his way to the kitchen. His tail swayed lazily behind him as he walked through the living room, “Are pancakes okay?” he asked as he passed the other male.  
“Yup! Thank you!” Haru replied while peeking out the window, seeing fresh snow on the ground from last night. Curiously he asked, “Can I have three?” Haru looked over his shoulder and towards the general direction of the kitchen.  
“I don’t see why not,” came Calin’s response as he reached up to get the mix and a bowl. He started preparing it and turned the stove on before asking, “Do you want anything in them?” He walked to the living room doorway, the mixing bowl held between his arm and his chest as he patiently waited for a response from the wolf.  
Haru blinked and began to think, well he was allergic to chocolate so that was out of the question.  
“...No?” he said and looked back at the feline with a smile.  
Calin nodded and offered a small smile back as he turned and walked back into the kitchen, poured some batter into the pan and allowed the pancakes to cook. He set the bowl of batter on the counter next to the stove, then took out two plates and two cups, “Milk or apple juice?” he called in question over his shoulder to the other male.  
Haru left the window before climbing into one of the high stools to sit at the bar so that he could watch the leopard cook, “Definitely apple juice!” came his response.  
Calin nodded and pulled the two drinks from the fridge before pouring a glass of each and handed the apple juice to the wolf before sipping at his own cup of milk as he flipped the pancakes.  
Haru’s smile brightened as he took the cup happily, dark circles still illuminating his eyes. It would take a good week just to get rid of those puppies. Other than that, Haru looked as healthy as he could be.  
Calin put the drinks back in the fridge before he plated the finished pancakes and placed the plate in front of the wolf, along with the maple syrup of course.  
Haru released a toothy grin and began to eat his meal. Well, more like devour, he was like a bottomless pit, wasting no time, it was like he forgot to breath in between bites.  
“Slow down Haru. There are plenty more where that came from,” the leopard said with a slight laugh as he started to make more pancakes for the other male, the sips he was taking, slowly depleting his cup of milk.  
Haru blinked, chewing one of the bites that still lingered in his mouth.  
“...Sorry, I am not used to it. Usually, I have to dive right in and eat, or my brothers would steal the food,” he replied with a tint of an embarrassed pink on his cheeks.  
Calin chuckled and reached across the counter to ruffle the wolf’s hair, “No worries. As long as you are here, you won’t have to worry about others stealing your food.”  
The brunette’s tail swayed happily from side to side and he nodded, a grin appearing on his lips.  
“Okay! Thank you!”  
The feline smiled lightly as he responded, “You’re welcome.” A faint blushed spread across the bridge of Calin’s nose as he turned back to the new batch of pancakes and flipped them.  
Haru began eating once more, but slower this time around, actually chewing the food and breathing. The wolf’s curiosity was peaked when he finally took in the summer type clothes the other shifter was dressed in and tilted his head slightly before voicing a question, “Do you get cold when it snows?”  
Calin shook his head and responded, “Not unless I am sick. I love the snow, but get weird looks from the humans if I don’t dress in coats like they do since I always hide my ears and tail.” He removed the pancakes and placed them on an extra plate before pouring more batter into the pan.  
Haru’s ears twitched in curiosity, “Why do you hide your tail and ears?” The wolf tilted his head, wondering if Calin felt ashamed of the animal appendages.  
“Snow leopards are not exactly welcomed in this town...many times we are hunted down and sold before being forced to mate with others, including humans,” He responded and stretched at his ears as he stretched and popped his back.  
“O-oh...If that is the case then why do you live here?”Haru questioned with a frown, now worried for his new friend’s safety.  
“Because it is the place people least expect to find a snow leopard,” Calin clarified with a slight grin.  
Haru blinked before offering a smile, “That is clever! See? I told you, you were smart!”  
Calin shrugged and flipped the final batch of pancakes before offering some more to Haru as he spoke, “Help yourself to as many pancakes as you want.”  
The brunette stretched his plate toward Calin so he could put pancakes on it once more and soon, once his plate retouched the surface of the countertop, he began eating again.  
The feline watched him and turned off the stove after removing the rest of the pancakes and leaned against the counter as he nibbled at his own plate of pancakes.  
The wolf cleaned his plate off in a matter of moments and down the juice in one gulp.  
“Thank you for the food!” he chimed just as he jumped off the stool and took his plate and cup into the kitchen sink.  
“You are welcome,” Calin replied and glanced at the wolf before he continued picking at his food, finishing a little over half of it before he stopped and went to wash the dishes.  
Haru looked at Calin with a toothy grin, “Can we go now?” he asked, planning to wear what he had on from the night before. The clothes of which consist of Calin’s sweatpants and tshirt, neither a jacket nor shoes.  
“Yes. Grab a pair of shoes from by the door. We will buy you some clothes in town,” the leopard replied and slipped a beanie on his head to cover his ears as his tail wrapped around his waist under his shirt. Calin slipped on a black jacket as well as a pair ankle boots.  
The wolf slipped on the shoes in displeasure, they were constricting and by far his least favourite invention. Haru ran a hand through his unruly hair as he waited for the leopard.  
“Are you sure about this Calin?” Referring to him buying Haru clothes.  
“Of course,”the silverette responded and tossed the wolf a jacket as he headed out the door. The silver haired male threw hims a small smile as he waited for the wolf in the hallway.  
Haru shrugged on the jacket and zipped it up before exiting the room and closing the front door.  
“Well...Okay, if you say so,” He replied, flashing a smile as he followed along side the snow leopard.  
The feline let out a slight purr as he headed to the elevator, feeling the cool draft from the hallway windows. His ears twitched as his shoulders tensed, the male wanting to play around in the cold weather.  
Haru’s ears twitched upon hearing the purr, he never really understood how cats did that and it interested him. He decided to make the leopard purr more when they come back, just so he could figure it out.  
“Calin? Is it only snow leopards that are endangered here?” He asked as he pressed the elevator button.  
Haru shrugged, “Last I heard it was most big cats except lions and tigers. I haven’t run into any others who are endangered, so as far as I know snow leopards are at the top of the list here.” Calin stepped in as the elevator opened and pressed the ground floor button.  
Haru pressed himself into one of the corners, his hands tightly gripping the railing. The wolf did not quite like how the elevator made his stomach lurch in different directions.  
“You won’t get found out right?” he asked just as the elevator doors closed.  
“I haven’t so far,” Calin chimed and watched the wolf in amusement, “not a fan of elevators I take it.” Calin’’s lips twitched into a mischievous smirk directed at Haru as he jumped.  
The brunette looked away, his lips pursed into an obvious pout, “Shut it! It is not that amusing!” He replied, glaring at his own reflection that shined off the copper walls.  
Calin hopped his way closer to the other male with a grin, “Oh, but it is,” he purred out and trailing his fingers over the other’s back.  
His back tensed, but not out of discomfort. The other’s fingers that barely touched his back left little tingles across his skin, ticklish one would say. One ear faced Calin so he could hear him and his movements better, “It isn’t. You’re just trying to make me all huffy,” Haru replied, his lips still pursed.  
“I would never do that,” The feline said with feigned innocence, the cat continued to run his fingers over the other’s back and lightly blew into the wolf’s ear.  
Immediately, that ear flattened itself as a shudder ran down the wolf’s spine. A red tint occupied Haru’s cheeks as he spoke, “Not the ear, Calin. You don’t have permission.”  
The leopard chuckled and rested his chin on the other’s shoulder, “Oh? Why is that?” he asked. Undeniably, the shifter had more energy and was in an extremely playful mood now that it was colder outside and he actually talked to someone that was also a shifter.  
“Because it is not fair that you get to play around and I can’t!” The wolf whined, half telling the truth. Wolves were known to be a bit too rough when it came to playing. He didn’t want them to play around and risk Calin’s identity.  
“I suppose that it is a little unfair,” Calin said and stepped away from the wolf to give him some personal space. The cat huffed slightly before the elevator opened and he stepped out into the lobby and headed towards the door.  
“...I’ll play when we get back to your apartment,” Haru offered as he followed after the big cat, happy to step out of the moving metal box.  
“Great!” Calin chirped and grabbed the other’s hand as he dragged him out of the apartment buildings and down the sidewalk.  
Haru followed alongside Calin the best that his shoe covered feet could go, “Slow down! I’m not used to shoes!”  
The felin pouted slightly, but slowed down so the other could keep up, “Haru...what kind of clothes do you like to wear?” He asked as he pointed out the grocery store and other need to know places.  
The wolf kept a gentle hold on the leopard’s hand as he shrugged, looking at the places the other pointed out.  
“Comfortable clothing. I don’t usually wear much, back in town it was surrounded by forests so I was almost always in wolf form. Dark colors for fall and winter, and lighter colors for spring and summer.” He said, listing off what did prefer to wear when he was not in his wolf form.  
“Alight, let us go get you some clothes,” Calin said and offered Haru a small smile as he glanced at their intertwined hands while they walked.  
Haru smiled back and nodded in agreement as he followed along, tail swaying from side to side. Noticing how little shifters were out and about, at most it was just a dog, cat, rabbit, and other small animal shifters, besides the occasional lion, tiger, or fox.  
Calin watched the smaller shifters with an almost parental protection when they would pass by humans, willing to attack, to protect them should the humans attempt to hurt them. He led the wolf into a store and looked around, “Feel free to pick out whatever you would like.”  
The brunette nodded quietly, walked through the section, grabbing at least four outfits for winter, wasting no time. Figuring that the clothes would fit into his bag for when he needed to leave to find his own place to live  
The leopard followed quietly behind him, cautiously looking around to make sure no one recognized who, or what he was.  
Haru turned to look at Calin and smiled, holding up the clothes, “Is this alright?” He was worried he would be spending too much of the now leopard’s money, considering they had just met yesterday for the first time. Already, Calin had done more that he could ever ask for from a stranger.  
“Well I did say to get whatever you wanted, which implies that you can pick out anything you want and can have it,” Calin replied with an amused partial smirk. He crossed his arms over his chest, his tail itching to be free and move around, seeing as it was the only way he could truly display his emotions.  
“Then I’ll settle for these,” Haru responded with a simple flick of his tail and a tiny smile. He didn’t quite like the thought of Calin spending his money just on him, but he vowed to pay him back later on.  
The leopard nodded and led the other to the cashier after picking up a few new hats and waited for the clerk to ring everything up before he paid.  
Haru waited patiently beside Calin, his tail wagging.As the Cashier rand everything up and put it is a sack he asked Calin a question with a chuckl, “Is this your new pet?”  
Calin glared at the cashier, “Is that all shifters are to you people? Pets?” He asked with a hiss before snapping in iritation, “They are people with feelings too, and for your information, this is my friend.”  
The man held his hands up in surrender and blinked.  
“Sorry...but it is just that he is half dog and dogs are usually pets to humans…” he said and smiled apologetically.  
“Wolf actually,” Calin corrected and bid the cashier a rather cold, brief farewell before he picked up the bags and headed outside. His ears were pressed tightly against his skull as the tip of his tail could vaguely be seen twitching under his shirt in anger.  
Haru was quick to run after the leopard, soon catching up to walking along beside him.  
“...Are you mad?” He asked, looking up at Calin with concern burning in his dark caramel eyes. Sure, he had been offended by the cashier at first, but seeing as how the man had apologized, Haru had put the entire conversation behind him.  
Calin’s shoulders visibly relaxed at the soft tone of the wolf and cobalt eyes shifted back to him, “No. Not mad...just frustrated,” he said. The feline sighed as he reached up and ruffled the other’s tawny hair.  
Haru only nodded as they walked back to Calin’s apartment.  
“On the bright side..we can go back and play now?” He offered, wondering if that would make the leopard feel better.  
Almost in an instant the leopard perked up, “Really?” he asked with a childlike excitement. The incident at the store was immediately wiped from his mind as his thoughts swam with ideas on what the two of them could play once they were back at the apartments.  
Haru’s eyes widened as he nodded, “Y-yeah, we can.” The wolf although shocked, was a little relieved to see the feline in such a good mood.  
Calin grinned and picked up his pace, now in a hurry to get home and play. The temperature seemed to drop by a degrees as they walked, the cold just serving to increase the amount of energy that the snow leopard had.  
Haru blinked and jogged to keep up. By the time they got back to the apartment building it was already snowing again.  
The feline looked around to make sure no one was looking before he quickly shed his hat, causing his ears to twitch as he let go of the wolf and set the bags down, setting his hat on top of them before he started to play in the snow. His silver hair became dusted with small flecks of white snow that also got caught in the fur of his ears and his newly exposed tail, turning the black tail tip into a pale gray.  
Haru set down the clothing bags he was carrying and watched Calin from afar with a smile. He kept his guard up, looking out for any human or shifter alike in order to protect the other male.  
The snow leopard started trying to pounce on the flakes that fell from the marbled gray and black sky. The falling snow was a beautiful sight, catching the street lights and glowing a pale gold, giving the illusion that the stars were falling to the ground below.  
His tail twitched constantly as he hunkered down in the cool, moist ground in preparation to pounce, his fingers turning a bright red as they started to tingle lightly from such an intense exposure to cold, although they did not hurt in the slightest.  
The wolf watched him and sat down in the snow with a little smile, wagging his tail happily. Haru could feel himself relaxing as he watched the shifter in front of him let go of his maturity and act like a newborn kitten.  
Calin made his way closer and turned his attention to Haru as he lowered himself to the snow covered ground and watched the wolf with a mischievous grin.  
The brunette blinked, his tial slowing to a stop as he regarded Calin with suspicion.  
“Calin...do not pounce,” He said, half meaning what he said.  
The feline feigned innocence as his ears flickered playfully before he lunged into a pounce towards Haru. A fake growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he playfully attacked the wolf.  
Haru’s breath hitched and the wolf dived forward to avoid the pounce. Using his hands and feet, he put a couple of feet between them.  
The leopard puffed out his cheeks in a pout before he tried to pounce again, now determined to get the wolf.  
Haru avoided being pounced upon by jumping away at the last minute before he himself pounced at Calin.  
The silverette’s eyes widened as he changed course to dodge the wolf, a breathless smile on his face as they played in the snow.  
Haru skid to a stop, tossing up snow as he did so before looking over at Calin, a toothy grin spread across his face, a brilliant spark in his deep brown eyes.  
Calin threw a handful of snow at the wolf before he darted towards him, hoping to pounce on the wolf this time around.  
Haru yelped and flopped onto his butt upon getting hit in the face. the cold making him disoriented as he closed his eyes to prevent the snow from getting into them and a few small flakes entering his ears.  
The leopard straddled the other male’s waist and held his breath as he watched Haru’s face, barely six inches away from his own. Blue eyes were blown wide with joy and mischief, silver bangs brushing across the bridge of his nose and partially shielding his eyes from the other male. His tail was twitching happily as his ears flicked, hearing the wind brush through the remaining brown leaves on the trees and hearing small forest animals crunching the fallen snow as they quickly made their way home to avoid freezing to death.  
The wolf’s nearly black eyes widened in shock, the snow he was pelted with just moments ago had clogged up his sense, as he realized just how close the other was to him.  
Calin’s cheeks flushed a deep pink as he leaned back to put some space between them as his ears lowered in the slightest hints of embarrassment, “Gotcha,” he whispered and gently wiped some of the snow off of Haru’s face. His fingers lingered on the wolf’s cheek unexpectedly longer than intended before Calin dropped his hand back down to his side.  
Haru’s cheeks darkened as well, whether it was from the cold or not, he wasn’t quite sure.  
“You cheated…” He protested weakly, adding a pout just to see if the other would feel sorry for him.  
The feline flashed a brief smirk, “We never set any rules,” he purred in response and picked up a little bit of snow with his hand and pressed it against Haru’s forehead with a light laugh.  
The wolf’s ears flicked in irritation before he flipped them over, using most of his strength to do so, “No rules? Alright, you asked for it then,” he said. Soon he was crouched against the white moist ground as he yes the leopard with little to no emotion in his eyes.  
Calin seemed to snuggled into the snow before he got up and took a few steps away from the wolf and crouched himself, silver hair swirled with white from the falling snow, giving his hair an ethereal glow.The leopard watched the wolf cautiously, muscles tensing and untensing in preparation to move at a moment’s notice.  
Haru’s ears flicked before he stood up, quickly grabbing Calin’s beanie and tossed it to him. A small apologetic smile forming on his lips at seeing the confused look that developed on the other’s face as he pulled the hat over his ears and rewrapped his tail around his waist.  
Soft laughter grew louder as a few patrons grew closer, followed by Calin’s eyes lighting up in understanding. Soon enough the two shifters had picked up the clothing bags and were making their way inside, puff of air forming small clouds as they panted from the playing just moments before.  
Calin huffed softly in annoyance as they walked. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Haru pick up the borrowed pair of shoes and quickly slip them on as they walked. Although they were interrupted, a grin still formed on his face as he looked over at Haru, which was returned by a smile from the wolf.  
“That was fun don’t you think?” he questioned as he led them up the stairs to his apartment, fishing his keys out of his pocket as they walked.  
Haru followed him up the steps with a roll of his eyes and a smile, “If you thought that was fun, I will have to take you out of town and to one of the nearby forests so that we can actually play. Without being interrupted by people walking past.”  
Calin’s ears perked up as he glanced at the wolf, “Give me a date and time and we will make that happen,” he said. His excitement was more obvious than it should have been, but the feline couldn’t help it.  
The brunette smiled a little and nodded just as they walked into the apartment. He thought for a few moments before making a suggestion, “How about sometime next week. Around lunch at the edge of town where the treeline is.”  
“Sounds great!” Calin responded and smiled back at the other male. The feline quickly stripped off his hat and jacket as well as his shoes before he carried the bags to the spare room and start to hang the clothes in the closet.  
Haru took off the jacket and shoes he borrowed, left them by the door, and sat on the floor by the coffee table, rubbing his cold, red feet just to warm them up to the point of feeling again, hopefully without the pin prickling sensation.  
“Am I staying in the spare room?” He asked curiously as he followed Calin with his eyes. Ears standing up in order to hear the snow leopard’s response as his tail thumped lazily against the short carpeted floor of the living room.  
“Yes, why wouldn’t you?” Calin asked back in confusion as he poked his head out of the doorway, “It would be warmer than the couch. Besides making someone sleep on the couch when there is a perfectly good guest room is kinda cruel.”  
Haru gave a nod of understanding before he stood up and quickly made his way to the guest room to scope it out; it was a few minutes later when he pounced onto the bed itself, yelping when he almost bounced off of it.  
The snow leopard laughed softly and watched the other from his place near the doorway, “Do you need anything else?” he asked with a slight tilt of his head.  
The brunette looked over at Calin and shook his head, smiling.  
“Nope. This is really great, thank you.”  
Calin nodded and smiled back before heading to his room to change clothes, considering his were soaked from the now melted snow that had coated his clothes.  
Haru shifted around and got off the bed before crawling under it and stripping until he was naked, then painfully shifted into his wolf form to be more comfortable and dry quicker.  
Calin pulled on a new pair of plaid boxers and short shorts that ended at mid-thigh, about two inches longer than his boxers, as well as a loose long-sleeved shirt. His ears swiveled as they picked up the sound of popping bones, signally the other male had changed forms. The leopard shrugged it off and made his way towards the kitchen to make some hot tea and prepare a light snack for the two of them.  
Haru crept out from under the bed and watched through the doorway as Calin walked from his bedroom and to the kitchen. The wolf quietly padded after him and sat on top of the vent in the floor that blew heat up into the apartment.  
The feline started humming softly as he moved around the kitchen, glancing back at the wolf every so often as he plated the snack and poured two cups of tea. He continued to hum softly as he carried the snack of sliced sausage cheese into the living room and placed it and the tea on the coffee table before he took a seat on the couch.  
Haru snuck over and stole a piece or two of the sausage and ate it under the table, his tail wagging happily.  
Calin sipped his tea and chuckled softly, “That is for the both of us. You don’t have to hide,” he said softly.  
Haru peeked out from under the table, looking up at Calin before switching back to his half human form with a wince. He stayed under the table, looking up at the feline with a smile. He reached over the table and grabbed another slice before eating that one. He didn’t come out from under the table though, seeing as now he was stark naked.  
Calin smiled back as the wolf as he laid on his stomach across the couch, nibbling at a few pieces of cheese. The barest hints of an amused smirk formed on his lips as he watched the other shifter.  
“Have as much as you would like,” he said softly before letting out a light laugh as he tossed a blanket to the wolf, “It would probably be easier to come out from under the table to eat.  
Haru crawled out from under the table, quickly wrapping the blanket around his waist as he stayed sitting down on the floor while he continued to snack.  
“Shush it!” He said playfully and shook his head.  
“Are you going to make me?” came the teasing response from the leopard as his smirk turned into a mischievous grin while he leaned towards the other.  
“If I had clothes on...maybe,” The wolf replied after swallowing the meat and cheese that was in his mouth. One of his brown ears focused on the movements of the leopard. Haru could tell he was close, but how close was close? That he did not really know. His ear flicked and relaxed, deciding to ignore Calin’s movements as much as possible as he continued to eat.  
Calin chuckled softly and reached over to the coffee table and grabbed another slice of cheese. He started to nibble on it at a slow pace as he watching Haru, his eyes slowly drooping with sleepiness as the leopard traded in his cheese to drink the remainder of his tea.  
The leopard shifted around to lay on his back, “Is there anything you would like to do?” he asked curiously.  
“To do?” repeated the wolf, asking himself the same question as he scratched at the scar on his hip.  
“What about you?” He asked innocently, not intending for it to sound as sexual as it did.  
The silver haired male blushed and watched with wolf, cobalt eyes now wide awake and alert as he sang to the other response,” Name a time and place.”  
Haru blinked and looked at Calin in confusion before it dawned on him, causing his entire face to turn red.  
“Th-That is not what I meant! I’m not ready for that! Plus it is not even my season!” he exclaimed, completely embarrassed and began to shuffled to his room rather quickly, hands tightly gripping the blanket around his waist to keep it up. Haru shut his door with a bit of force and quickly got dressed, hiding under his bed blankets, mentally screaming.  
Calin started laughing, finding it both funny and mortifying that he had misunderstood the wolf’s question. He stood up and made his way to the front door.  
“Haru? I am going out for a little while. Do you want me to pick up anything for you?” He called while tugging on his coat and shoes, flipping his hood up, not wanting to deal with an actual hat.  
“No! Just be careful,” The wolf yelled through the closed door so that the other could hear him. He sat up in his bed and looked out the window to watch Calin leave. He could not help but wonder if he made the leopard mad or something like that. The wolf was also curious as to where Calin was going.  
“Alright, I’ll be back later,” Calin replied and left his apartment. Out of habit he locked the front door simply for safety purposes. The leopard sighed to himself, not really intending to have responded to Haru the way he did.  
He looked around cautiously before he crossed the street and headed towards the convenience store down the road, his breath coming out in small puffs of smoke due to the warm breath meeting the frigid air outside, not that the temperature really bothered the leopard.  
The wolf left his room and went back to the living room and waited by the window, removing the curtains so he would be clearly seen, even from the parking lot. Caramelized eyes roamed over the snowy landscape, quickly catching sight of his shifter roommate and following his figure as far as he could see. As soon as the monochrome silhouette of Calin left his sight, Haru’s eyes continued to roam around, taking in the quick pace of all other shifters and human that were stuck outside, hurrying to get home and out of the cold.  
A moment later, a black van pulled into the vicinity. Two men stepped out, both holding tranquilizer guns and black bandanas covered their faces. One, a shifter, the other, a shifter hunter, human by birth. Haru watched one of them nod up to the window where he was before they headed into the apartment building at a swift pace. Haru’s eyes widened and he quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed as many soda cans as he could, opening them with his teeth before dumping the contents all of the floor and couch, places that held Calin’s scent the strongest.  
The wolf could hear the thundering footsteps coming up the stairwell and soon the door was kicked in, the locks breaking with ease. The wolf froze in the center of the living room, staring at the two men in shock before he launched into action and aimed for the hunter. A dull echo of a gunshot reached Haru’s ears before the pain of the dart hitting his side set in. Panic took over, sending him into a furious frenzy as he attacked both shifter and hunter alike, hellbent on protecting his own protector.  
Calin was making his way back towards the apartment, blowing bubbles with his newly bought gum, popping them with his teeth as he rounded the corner and into the apartment building, too spaced out to recognize the scent of a hunter. The snow leopard paled, muffled sounds of yelling causing his ears to twitch before a shot rang out and everything grew quiet. Calin barely refrained from shifting himself as he bolted towards his apartment, up the stairs faster than he thought possible, frantically calling for Haru as he neared the door, a streak of yellow spotted fur speeding past him in the form of a cheetah.  
The brunette looked over at the opened door from his spot in Calin’s bedroom doorway. The entire apartment was trashed, water and fresh soda stains on the carpet and furniture, clearly doing a poor job of masking the leopard’s scent, but a feeble attempt at it anyway. The hunter laid in front of the wolf, motionless, badly injured, unconscious but still alive. An empty dart laid in the center of the living room, by the remnants of the coffee table, but it clearly held Haru’s scent. Another dart was protruding from the wolf’s abdomen accompanying the torn shirt that revealed new bite and claw marks that were starting to scab over.  
Cobalt eyes widened before the leopard rushed over to the wolf and carefully pulled him close with a light whine of concern as he gently pulled the dart out of Haru’s stomach.  
“Haru...are you ok?” he asked in a whisper, voice trembling with fear and anger. His ears, once standing up in alert, now pressed tightly against his head as his tail thrashed in anger against the stained floor of his apartment.  
The wolf slumped into the other shifter, his senses growing duller with each passing moment, courtesy of two injections of tranquilizing fluid. He use his arms as a feeble attempt to push Calin away, “Calin...the cheetah...it knows. You have to go,” he mumbled and pressed on the other’s chest.  
“Don’t care,” came the leopard’s response as he tightened his grip on Haru and turned to face the hunter, “just take it easy. We will get you some help.” Calin picked the wolf up in a bridal carry and headed out of what barely counted as an apartment anymore and made his way towards the nearby park.  
Haru nudged his face into the leopard’s neck gently and in the blink of an eye, he was out like a light and fast asleep, as limp as a corpse. One of the few signs that signalled his sleep was the way his tail curled around the feline’s waist.  
The shifter held him close and softly kissed the side of Haru’s head as he walked into the woods. He laid Haru down in a hollowed out trunk of a giant oak tree before going to pick some herbs that would help ease the wolf’s pain from the new wounds. Calin crushed the herbs up on top of a rock and used water from a nearby creek to make it a paste and spread it on a large leaf in order to carry it back to Haru before gently spreading it over the fresh wounds.  
Haru stayed unconscious for at least ten more minutes, two darts wouldn’t do much to a shifter, but even if he was half awake. he would have to wait another ten minutes or so until he could move again and regain his senses.  
A soft whimper escaped the wolf’s slightly parted lips, signalling he was half awake. The mixture stung, but he guessed it was to take the pain away, at least whenever it decided to work that was his hope anyways.  
“Take it easy Haru. We are safe for now,” Calin whispered comfortingly and shifted to support the wolf, allowing the other to use his lap as a pillow. He carded his fingers gently through the wolf’s earth colored hair, his ears constantly swiveling to catch each and every sound that drifted through the forest.  
The wolf noticeably relaxed upon hearing Calin’s voice, “Calin...I’m sorry...I tried to...I wrecked your home..” He mumbled unhappily. Haru strained to turn his head to look up at Calin, caramel eyes dazed with sedation as he leaned into the gentle touch of the other.  
“It is fine, Haru. I never really liked that place the way it was anyways,” He said softly, smiling softly down at the wolf. Cobalt eyes were swimming with multiple emotions, panic, fear, and anger being the most prominent.  
Haru closed his eyes and rested there, the pain in his wounds disappearing and his sore muscles relaxing. His senses were still dulled and he couldn’t move, not that he really wanted to at the moment, Calin’s warmth was seeping through his clothes and tempting him to sleep.  
Seconds later, three cheetahs and a lion ran out of the bushes, surrounding Calin and Haru as a couple of hunters joined them. An insane grin spread across one of the hunter’s faces, seemingly splitting it in two as he spoke, “Well, well, well, looks like we found you thanks to Shorty.”  
Calin snarled and held Haru protectively as he glared at the shifters and surrounding hunters, “What do you want?” he asked with a hiss as his ears flattened against his head. Every piece of fur on his ears and tail was standing on edge out of fear. Calin had just gotten settled down and seemed to have stumbled across a potential mate that didn’t want to sell him for money.  
Haru opened his eyes upon hearing someone else’s voice and he instantly paled. The wolf whined softly, still not able to move and it terrified him; Haru wanted to be able to defend Calin, but in this state he would never be able to protect him.  
“We want you, Leopard. So do us a favor and come quietly, leave the wolf too.” The hunter ordered as the other hunters pointed their guns at the two shifters.  
Calin let out a maniacal laugh and gently laid Haru down before he stepped in front of the wolf. His eyes had darkened to an almost midnight blue with rage as his pupils grew, making their slit more prominent.  
“Do you guys know why Snow Leopards are so hard to catch?” He asked, tilting his head with feigned innocence, a murderous aura rolling off of him in waves. His blood lust was starting to affect the other shifters, causing their eyes to switch between dilation and not dilated as they tried to focus on their targets.  
“Frankly, I do not care. We will take you dead or alive,” The hunter replied as the lion and cheetahs growled a warning towards Calin and stepped towards him.  
The leopard shifted forms in the blink of an eye and growled back at the other shifters. He was ready to defend himself and Haru, even if it cost him his life.  
In mere seconds after the shift, the hunters seemed to empty their tranquilizer guns at Calin, all while the shifters rushed at the male. Haru simply laid there and watched with wide, fearful eyes. A silent scream of Calin’s name fell from his lips as he worried for the leopard’s safety.  
The feline snarled and used his tail to knock the darts back at the other shifters, thankful for the thick fur the snow leopard was blessed with. He pounced on the closest hunter and tore into his shoulder with both teeth and claws. Calin was quick to make work of the hunter before he launched himself at the next human; he was slowly losing himself to his enraged spirit animal, furious at those who dared to threaten his mate, not that either shifter knew they were mates, but that did not stop the leopard from doing all he could to protect his wolf.  
The hunter fell back and cried out in pain, soon followed by his fellow hunter, That was when the lion took action, attacking and knocking the leopard off of the hunters and began to wrestle with him.  
Calin hisses in pain before tuning his focus to the lion and reached to latch onto his throat, or stomach. The leopard aimed at anything that would cause damage and that was easy to reach as he fought against the lion.  
It was rumored that no shifter could stand up to the power of a lion shifter, but so little was known about snow leopards it made it hard to get accurate data on which shifters where actually the strongest.  
Moments later a shot echoed in the hollowed tree, causing the leopard’s ears to flatten against his head at the sharp ringing in the air, silencing all snarls. The lion pulled back to let Calin see a hunter, holding Haru by the hair with a hand gun shoved into his mouth.  
“Enough!” came the barked order from the hunter, his glare directed at the leopard as he tightened his grip on the wolf’s hair.  
Calin glared darkly and snarled angrily before he shifted back, a pair of loose boxers hanging on his hips as he kept his back against the wall. He kept one hand out of sight as he pulled a few small throwing knives out of the holster that was strapped to his waist. His grip on the blades tightened as he watched the hunter, “Let him go!” He said, voice eerily calm as he kept his eyes trained on Haru’s terrified face.  
“No. I will shoot him, right here and right now if you do not comply. All we want is for you to come with us, leopard. Quietly,” The hunter snapped as he unlocked the safety on the gun, making his wolf hostage whine in fright. The wolf was still experiencing the effects of tranquilizer, still unable to move except for twitching the tips of his fingers as his tail ducked between his legs in submission.  
Calin hung his head and lowered his defensive stance and gripped his hands in tight fists as he submit to the hunter. His voice was heavy with defeat as he made a soft request, “At least...let me talk to him, alone before you take me.” Blue eyes lost their angry edge and gained a grief filled swirl as they lifted to focus on the caramel colored eyes of his wolf.  
The cheetahs and lion headed back into the bush to respect the leopard’s wish. They stayed close, keeping the two shifters surrounded, just in case the leopard decided to make a run for it. The rest of the hunters did the same as the main hunter dropped Haru to the snowy ground and holstered his gun.  
“You have five minutes. If you even think about running, we will not hesitate to kill him on the spot,” He said and retreated to the bush, following his fellow captures.  
The leopard dropped his knives and they clattered to the ground, seemingly in slow motion as the metal bounced against metal and let out a shrill ring that rang of defeat. Calin scampered over to Haru and held the wolf against him in a gentle cradle as he mewed quietly, almost in a sobbing pattern as he started to speak, “I...I’ll miss you Haru. I-I promise I will find my way back to you someday. Someday soon,” He whispered and pressed a light kiss to the wolf’s forehead, blue eyes closed to hide the welling tears.  
“Calin? Calin don’t...don’t go,” Haru slurred as he grabbed at Calin’s arm, his grip still extremely weak, “please don’t go.” The wolf was begging at this point, a soft whine in his voice as he attempted to force his body to move. His ears lowered as he strained his paralyzed limbs to push himself closer to Calin, eager to feel the leopard’s comforting heat.  
“I do not like this anymore than you do, Haru...I don’t see a way out of it. If I run they will kill you and I would not be able to handle that,” He said and brushed his fingers through the wolf’s hair, a fond gentleness licked at the guilt in his eyes, slowing drowning out the world except for the wolf in his arms.  
The wolf used a shaky arm to sit up a bit before wrapping both arms around Calin’s neck, more of his strength returning and allowing him to pull himself closer to the leopard. He sniffled and tightened his grip, “Promise...promise me that you will come back to me.”  
Calin heard the catch in the wolf’s voice and it caused his tears to well up again as he held the wolf closer. He did his best to keep his voice even as he spoke, “I promise Haru. I will see if they will let you come with me...but I can’t promise anything other than I know for sure I will find my way back to you one way or another.” A weak purr rumbled in his throat as he nuzzled the wolf softly.  
Haru nudged his face in Calin’s neck gently, holding back his tears as he relished in the sound of the weak purr. The wolf smiled weakly against the leopard’s neck and took a deep breath, memorizing the clean cinnamon scent that seemed to cling to Calin’s skin.  
“O-Okay...Okay. J-Just be careful. Please Calin,” He whimpered out and sniffled, pulling back from the leopard and sat on his knees, propping himself against the wall as he watched the leopard stand up.  
Calin stood up on shaky legs and bent down; he placed a soft, lingering kiss on the other’s cheek as he walked out and looked around for the lead hunter. Once saddened blue eyes met emotionless gray, the leopard spoke up, “I will go with you on one condition. The wolf comes with me and no harm is to come to him.” The leopard took a deep breath to calm himself as he stood his ground against those who aimed to harm his wolf.  
The hunter watched Calin for a moment before glancing back at Haru, who was watching from the entrance of the tree. He contemplated the deal before nodding with a roll of his eyes, “Deal. No harm will come to the wolf,” he said with a careless wave of his hand.  
Calin nodded and turned to face Haru, a small smile of relief forming on his lips as he watched the wolf. He took a step towards the wolf before looking over his shoulder to speak again, “And we are not to be separated under any circumstances.” The leopard quickly walked the rest of the way and took the wolf into his arms with a small sob and held him close as he walked back over to the hunters.  
The leader huffed, “Fine. Whatever. If you want him to be traumatized, then by all means. Deal. Now get in the van,” he said with a nod of his head. The lion growled from behind Calin while the cheetahs lead the way back to the van that was still parked in the parking lot of Calin’s apartment building. One of the cheetahs was waiting by the van when the rest of them arrived at the van. He had two coats draped over his arms, seeing as how he had shifted back to his human form.  
Calin growled back at the lion as he followed the cheetahs back to the van, “Just relax, Haru. You will be ok,” he said softly and held him closer as they came to a stop in front of the shifter, who handed each of them a coat from Calin’s apartment. The leopard let the coat drape loosely around his shoulders as he helped Haru into the other coat before climbing into the van, albeit rather reluctantly.  
The hunters shut the van doors, the humans up front and the shifters in the back with Calin and Haru. The lion and cheetahs returned to their human like forms, boxers hanging loose on their hips and the shock collars they wore readjusted to fit their now smaller necks. They gave Calin and Haru as much room as possible.  
The wolf had finally managed to regain his strength and removed himself from Calin’s lap, moving to sit beside the leopard as close as possible. He loosely gripped Calin’s coat sleeve and leaned against him, focusing his attention on the decadent scent of the leopard instead of his fear for what was to come.  
Calin kept his arm around Haru after slipped his coat on and lightly nuzzled the wolf as his tail wrapped around the other male’s waist. The leopard hummed lightly in order to sooth Haru as best he could.  
The wolf relaxed against Calin before he gently nuzzled back until the lion shifter moved, causing Haru to tense in fright. The lion, sandy blonde hair and a goatee, handed over two shock collars to Calin.  
“Please put these on before the van stops. You don’t want to get shot,” He said softly.  
The silverette nodded and took the two collars before quickly putting one around his own neck before he leaned closer to Haru. He moved significantly slower when placing the collar around the wolf’s neck, “Don’t worry Haru...this isn’t actually on, just do not move around too much, and stay close,” he whispered, so that Haru was the only one to hear him as he pulled a few strands of his own hair out and wrapped them around the collar. He hoped this would prevent the metal pieces from touching, therefore not allowing the electrical current to run through the collar if they tried to shock Haru.  
Haru’s ears flicked, signaling that he understood. The lion watched them with disinterest, “My name is Luke, sorry about...tackling you to the ground,” he stated, giving a slight bow of his head to show respect.  
Calin relaxed slightly, “It is fine...I understand that you did not have much of a choice. My name is Calin and this is Haru,” he said and nodded towards Luke in return. The leopard pulled Haru into his lap and nuzzled lightly against his neck, calming himself with the familiar scent of a pine forest after a spring rain shower.  
The brunet’s tail lightly thumped against the floor of the van, but otherwise he remained still, watching the other feline shifters.  
“It is nice to meet you two. The three cheetahs are Shorty, Dennis, and Niles, who was the one that brought you the coats. They do not talk much due to...you know, but they mean well,” Luke informed them, hoping to help ease the two newcomers after they were so rudely stripped from their home.  
Calin nodded in greeting to them before he refocused his attention on his wolf.  
“Are you feeling any better, Haru?” He asked softly, gently running his fingers through the brunet’s hair. He rested his chin on the wolf’s shoulder, wrapping his free arm loosely around Haru’s waist to hold him closer.  
Haru nodded, “I am. My wounds do not hurt anymore and the tranquilizer has worn off,” he explained. Physically, he was good, perfect shape even, but emotionally he was down in the dumps. Haru craved the feeling to let his tears out, but he refused to cry in front of people. He was taught that crying was a show of weakness, something that he had learned to hide as soon as he was disowned from his pack.  
Calin nodded and held the wolf close, peppering soft kisses to his cheeks and neck. He whispered softly into the other’s ear, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Haru. I promise on my life.”  
Haru relaxed into the leopard and closed his eyes, drained from all that has happened, but he gladly put all of his trust in Calin.  
Two hours later, the van rolled to a stop and the doors were opened. The cheetahs exited first, then Luke nodded at Calin and Haru, signalling for them to get out before he followed behind them. The ringing from the slammed van doors echoed through the dead air, seeming louder than it really was, drowning out the faded pounding of music that seemed to float through the air from the building ahead of them.  
Calin held haru and carried him out of the van as he himself climbed out, giving a brief nod of thanks to Luke.  
“Just hold on and stay quiet, Haru,” He said softly and watched the hunters cautiously.  
The cheetahs led Calin and Haru into a large building. It was like a hotel, but it had been made into a brothel, an auction center, as well as a club, all in the same building. In the lobby, the cheetahs dispersed and a nicely dressed man stood up from his chair and pointed at Calin and Haru.  
“What is this? Why is the kid hurt?” He bellowed out, obviously drunk and on the verge of being enraged, “Deal with the wolf’s wounds. Patch him up and then send them to the cages.” Leo merely grunted and gently tapped Calin’s back, directing him to an elevator.  
The snow leopard followed and tightened his grip slightly on Haru as he followed the lion. Blue eyes looked around as he followed, keeping on high alert should he need to defend Haru from anything.  
“Who was that, Luke?” He questioned softly, his ears lowered, but still perked up to catch any and all sounds that traveled through the building.  
“That was the main guy, the head honcho. The boss. He pays hunters to hunt shifters for him...he turns us into a fucking petting zoo and breeds us like there is no tomorrow,” He growled under his breath as they stepped into the elevator. Luke pressed the button to the second floor, pacing around the small space as his tail twitched in agitation.  
Calin nodded and offered the lion an apologetic look for bringing up anything that the other feline did not want to think of. He thought for a moment before speaking up, “Has anyone ever tried to make an escape plan for all the shifter?” he asked softly.  
“We have. A month ago, but somebody on the inside snitched and the shifter who brought up the plan was skinned alive,” he replied. Luke stopped his pacing and looked between the two of them, “It is not going to be great for you two. Haru is the only male wolf in this man’s custody, and you are a snow leopard, Calin.”  
Haru whined unhappily upon hearing this and wiggled out of Calin’s grip, standing besides him as he held his hand. His fear barely penetrated the air, but it was noticeable through the way his tail stayed between his legs in submission and with how his ears pressed against his skull. His fear, though, was not for himself, it was fear for Calin, fear for what their “boss” would make Calin do.  
Calin nodded and tightly held the wolf’s hand, “I hope the hunter that nabbed us understands that if Haru receives even a single scratch, or is forced to mate with anyone except me, that there will be bloodshed and clients will get hurt,” He said seriously.  
“Luke, so far you are the only one here that I trust and if anything happens to me, I would leave Haru with you...I know we just met and that this is a lot to ask, but I would rather be safe than sorry,” he said softly and turned his gaze to the floor of the elevator.  
Haru tightened his grip on Calin’s hand, a pale blush occupying his cheeks upon hearing the words, “except me,” despite the situation they were in. Leo glanced at the leopard and then at Haru before sighing, “Alright.”  
The elevator dinged and they stepped off, heading to a door that read infirmary. The lion nodded and opened the door, “The nurse is..a bit moody so be careful,” he said and let them in.  
The leopard nodded in thanks to the lion and offered a small smile before he led Haru inside and looked around for the nurse. His ears twitching at the muffled sounds the reverberated through the walls, floor, and ceiling.  
The nurse looked over at them from her spot at the desk and popped a bubble, her monkey tail grabbing a first aid kit and pointed to the bed, “Sit there and I’ll bandage you up.”  
Haru followed Calin’s lead to the bed and sat down quietly, keeping caramel eyes trained on the shimmering silver hair of his leopard. His posture relaxed as he watched the way Calin stayed on high alert, knowing that nothing would ever tear the two of them apart, despite only knowing each other for a total of two months,  
The nurse rolled over to the wolf and pulled out the bandages and medical tape from the kit and began to patch up the wolf, “You two new? Oh well guess that doesn’t matter. You will be gone in a week or so,” she babbled, popping her bubble gum.  
Calin stayed quiet as he watched the nurse work, humming lightly to Haru to soothe his nerves.  
When he was bandaged up, the nurse took out a needle with medicine and instantly, Haru snarled and got up. He backed away from her, fear and hatred show in his brown eyes, “Touch me with that needle and you won’t keep that hand...”  
Calin placed himself between Haru and the nurse, “I think we are done here,” He said firmly, leaving no option for discussion.  
The nurse stabbed the needle into the bed in a huff before she flipped her hair over her shoulder, “Then leave,” she snapped and threw her hands up in exaggeration.  
“Thank you for your help,” The leopard said with a slight bow of thanks before he led Haru out of the infirmary and back towards the elevator.  
Haru followed after the leopard and closed the door to the infirmary. Luke watched him, raising a single eyebrow, “So...wolf boy is afraid of needles, huh?”  
Calin nodded, “It appears that way, everyone has something that they fear,” he said with a light shrug.  
“Whatever. So now I have to take you to your cages. Shockingly enough, they are private and the two of you can bunk together,” Luke informed them as the trio waited in front of the elevator for it to reach their floor.  
The silverette followed close behind the lion, lightly tugging the wolf behind him. Calin glanced back at Haru, his eyes softening sadly at the bandages that littered the other’s torso and arms.  
“That is pretty shocking…” He mumbled and stepped into the metal box, keeping a firm but gentle grip on the wolf’s hand.

Once they were all in the elevator, Luke his another button that took them three stories up and then led them off the elevator and down to a hotel room. The door was filled with many locks, from chain locks, to bar locks, to keypad locks, even an eye scanner.  
“This is your room. It works just like a regular hotel room, the phone line is directed to me or Shorty, only call if you really need something. The only time you are allowed out is if you are being auctioned, breeding, or fighting for entertainment,” Luke said.  
Calin nodded and offered a light smile, “Thanks...so while in the room we find ways to entertain ourselves?” he asked curiously and started to undo the locks.  
Luke nodded, “Pretty much. There is a TV, magazines of all kinds, such as cars, sports, make up, pornos and so on. I think there are movies too, but I don’t remember,” He replied after listing what he vaguely remembered to be in the room and waved his hand. Once the door was unlocked and opened, the room really did look like a standard hotel room, but the windows were bulletproof and bared.  
The leopard nodded and let Haru enter the room first, “I guess we will see you when we see you Luke. Thanks for everything you have done,” he said and bowed slightly to him before he entered the room as well and closed the door behind them.  
When the door was closed, Luke locked all the locks, and a few beeps signalled that he had activated the keypad and eye scanner. The wolf looked around before sitting on one of the two beds within the room and crawled to the middle of it.  
Calin walked over and pounced on the bed next to Haru and pulled him close, holding him protectively.  
The wolf shifted and snuggled into the leopard with a small sigh. He stared at Calin’s collar with a frown, he wanted to nuzzled the man’s neck like he did before the metal thing was in the way, “Calin…? Is this our new home?” he asked softly.  
The leopard hummed softly at the question and sighed, “I think is it Haru...I’m sorry,” he said quietly and kissed the wolf’s cheek with a weak purr.  
The wolf steeled himself, he needed to be strong for the other after all the protecting he did. Haru shifted and gently began to pet the leopard, offering a bright smile, “It will be okay. I’ll cheer you up! We can play?” he offered.  
The feline smiled and leaned into his touch as his purring got louder, “And what would you like to play?” he asked softly. Cobalt eyes watched the wolf fondly, everything fading away as Calin focused solely on Haru, his heart skipping a beat in adoration.  
“We can wrestle! Or jump on these beds!” The wolf replied, sure there were probably more things, but he could not think of any right now. Haru’s smile got brighter when seeing Calin’s and he continued to pet the cat.  
The feline seemed to slowly melt into the petting as his own smile grew, “We will do whatever you want us to do, Haru.”  
Haru let out a playful whine before he replied, “You have to decide too! I can’t decide what we do. This is a two man job!” He said with a little laugh. Haru smiled up at the leopard before leaning up and placing a gentle kiss to his forehead, a pale blush dusting across his cheeks.  
Calin chuckled softly as he looped his arms around Haru and kissed his cheek in return, “Are you sure?” he asked and rolled over to playfully pin the other male down on the bed.  
The wolf blinked as he watched Calin, looking up at the leopard before scoffing a bit, “Yeah. I’m pretty sure.”  
“Then prove that you are a man,” The feline teased and smirked down at the wolf with a playful growl. Slowly, Calin was starting to forget their situation and fully enjoyed playing with Haru the way he was.  
Haru responded with his own playful growl and flipped them over so that he was pinning the other down, “And how do I do that?”  
“Think of something,” The shifter responded and wrestled with the male, attempting to pin and hold down the other.  
They wrestled on the bed before they both fell off and thumped onto the floor, igniting a soft laugh from the wolf, who ended up on top again.  
“This is the second time I pinned you, does that make me a man?” He asked teasingly, his tail quickly cutting through the air in a joy filled wag.  
Calin sighed dramatically, “I suppose it does make you a man,” He said and watched Haru fondly, his ears flicking in happiness.  
Haru smiled softly before he leaned down and gently pressed his lips against the leopard’s, his eyes closed and his cheeks a bit too red with a growing blush.  
The feline’s eyes fluttered closed as he happily kissed back with a content sigh and cupped Haru’s cheek as he practically melted against the wolf.  
The wolf deepened their kiss and didn’t pull away until they were both breathless. Haru smiled down at the leopard before his cheek affectionately, “Calin? Did you mean it? About what you said in the elevator? That i’m not allowed to mate with anyone, but you?”  
Calin blushed darkly and averted his gaze so that he was looking to the side as he gasped softly to catch his breath before replying, “I...well, yes I did...but you can mate with whoever you want, I just don’t want them to force breed you with people that you do not know.” Calin mewled softly towards the wolf in embarrassment as he used his hands to cover his face and his reddening cheeks.  
Haru let a gentle, yet possessive growl vibrate his throat, “Do not say that! I don’t want to mate with anyone but you! Only you, Calin,” he said, determination strong in his voice before it trailed off to a tone of gentle adoration for the feline.  
“Y-You do?” The feline asked in shock and looked up at Haru with wide eyes, through his fingers, hope clearly evident in his voice as well as his cobalt eyes.  
The wolf quickly nodded, looking down at the snow leopard from where he had the other pinned. Soon enough Haru had gently grabbed a hold of Calin’s hands and had them pinned above the leopard’s head to get a clear view of his face.  
Calin’s blush darkened drastically as he smiled happily up at the wolf and started purring happily. Though, flicker of fear passed through his eyes as the other initially pinned his arms down, the fear was as quick to leave as it was to come once Calin remembered the Haru was the one with him.  
The wolf smiled and crawled off the other to let him sit up, easily picking up on the brief moment of fear that passed through the leopard.  
The leopard grinned playfully and pulled Haru down on top of him before he rolled to pin the wolf down.  
Haru yelped slightly as he looked up at Calin, blinking in confusion, “Wha-?”  
Calin smirked and kissed the tip of his ear softly before he nuzzled his cheek with a low purr.  
Haru blushed lightly as his ear flicked on contact, “Calin I told you not the ears…”  
The leopard purred, “And why not?” He asked and lightly nibbled at the wolf’s ear, playfully teasing Haru.  
“Don’t be dumb...you know why…!” He mumbled and slightly began to squirm under him.  
Calin laughed softly and looked down at him with a grin, “I may need to be reminded,” He sang and watched Haru.  
The wolf looked up at the feline with a tiny pout, “You are doing this on purpose aren’t you?” he asked and raised an amused eyebrow.  
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” The leopard responded and tilted his head in mock confusion as he carefully slipped Haru’s collar off and placed it on the ground next to them.  
The wolf’s tail thumped against the floor, happy to have the blasted collar off, “You are lying to me,” He whined.  
“I am not,” Calin whined back childishly, drawing out the not longer than it should have been. He smiled softly at the wolf, glad the other didn’t have to wear the collar.  
Haru shifted and reached up to Calin, removed his collar as well and tossed it to the other side of the room with a smile.  
“Are too,” He breathed out as he watched the feline above him, a breathless smile laying claim to his lips.  
“Am not,” The feline said and stuck his tongue out in a pout as he relaxed, albeit slightly since he no longer had to worry about being electrocuted.  
Haru lifted up on his elbows and quickly licked Calin’s tongue, a wolfish grin on his face as he watched those cobalt blue eyes widen in pure astonishment.  
The shifter squeaked and mewled softly as his cheeks took on a new shade of red, his gaze calculating as he searched Haru’s face for any sign of false feelings.  
The wolf blushed as well before he flipped them over and leaned down, giving Calin the chance to pull away before claiming his lips again in a soft, loving kiss. He used a hand to cup the feline’s cheek and gently tugged on his bottom lip, being mindful of how sharp his own canine teeth were. Haru was simply going off of instinct at this point, seeing as how he had never been in a relationship before meeting up with this beauty of a snow leopard.  
Calin kissed back happily, hesitance clear in his actions as he slowly wrapped his arms around Haru’s neck and pulled them closer together. A soft moan pulled its way from his throat at the tug to his lip. The feline’s lips parted unconsciously as he felt himself start to lose his control, his animal taking control and wanting to completely submit to the wolf above him.  
Swiftly, Haru slipped his tongue through those sweet lips and explored the leopard’s wet cavern, mapping out every inch of the other’s mouth. His inner wolf practically howled in delight, feeling the submission radiating from the feline, signalling that both shifters were accepting each other as mates without even realizing it.  
Calin pulled away slowly, his face flushed a deep red as he stared up at the wolf with dazed cobalt eyes. His breath came in light pants as he some distance between the two of them. The snow leopard smiled breathlessly up at the wolf and gave a low purr of satisfaction as he nuzzled the other’s cheek before slowly sitting up.  
He refused to admit that getting this attached to someone so quickly, scared him. It scared him beyond what he thought was possible. It was more terrifying than coming home to find his parents mutilated. Haru seemed to have picked up on his unease, a soft kiss was placed on the leopard’s forehead as the wolf stood up and helped the feline up. Calin offered an apologetic smile as he wrapped his arms around the wolf in a loose hug, “I’m sorry, Haru.”  
“It is alright Calin...I understand,” The wolf said softly and held the other shifter close, trying to ease his anxiety. He understood how hard this was to accept. Shifters were meant to be mated to other shifters of the same kind, not mated to opposite species. A knowing smile found its way to Haru’s face as he led Calin towards one of the beds and had him lay down, “Go ahead and get some rest, you will need as much rest as you can get,” He said softly and pressed another kiss to his forehead before tucking the feline into bed.  
Caramel eyes watched a small yawn part those candied lips, tempting him to kiss Calin breathless again, but refrained from doing so, knowing that the other needed his rest for whatever tomorrow had in store for the snowy shifter. Sleep was quick to claim the silver haired shifter, it was endearing to watch him curl up under the blankets and cuddled with his pillow. Haru took to cleaning up around the small room, throwing out the things he deemed not necessary before yawning himself.  
The wolf placed their shock collars on the coffee table that was positioned between the two beds, a sigh passed through his lips as guilt laid claim to his eyes. He laid down on the bed opposite of Calin and watched the feline for a few moments before falling asleep himself, the faintest smile painted on his lips.  
The faintest sound of eye scanner beeping brought Calin out of his sleep as he sat up, rubbing his eyes as he blinked away the remnants of sleep. Blue eyes were dark with exhaustion, pale feet slipped out from under the duvet and lightly pressed against the chilled floor. A small shiver coursed up the male’s spine as he stood up and stretched. He offered Haru a fleeting smile as he picked up one of the collars and slipped it around his own neck, flinching slightly as it clicked, signalling that it was on and armed, ready to shock should the right button be pressed.

His ears twitched as he pulled on a clean shirt from the closet as well as a pair of sweatpants. Thin fingers quickly carded through silver locks in order to tame the unruly bedhead before Calin made his way to the door as the rest of the locks were undone and the door was opened to reveal Shorty, the cheetah shifter from the day before. The blonde male made a few gestures for the leopard to follow before heading back towards the elevator.

A sigh passed through Calin’s lips as he nodded in understanding and made his way over to Haru, “Haru…? I have to leave now,” He whispered and pecked the wolf’s forehead softly before giving him a sad smile as he followed the cheetah to the elevator, closing the door behind him and was quick to lock everything back in place. He nervously followed the other feline and leaned against the wall of the elevator as it moved between the floors. The metal box stopped on the fifth floor, opening and the horrible mix of scents assaulted Calin’s nose, causing his face to scrunch up in disgust as he followed the cheetah.

Cobalt eyes quickly scanned all the surroundings as they passed and headed into a rather large room. It seemed as though they had taken one of the bigger suites and turned it into a type of dressing room; one that was used to prepare the fresh meat, fresh meat being the new shifters, the new shifters being the new additions to the brothel.

Calin tensed up as he observed the emotionless eyes that were staring at him from every direction, his ears pressed against his skull as he walked and sat down in the chair that Shorty directed him to. Calin gnawed at his lip in worry as shifters he didn’t know approached him, quickly throwing him into a pair of too short shorts and a sorry excuse for a shirt. Sheer black material was layered, forming an almost solid tank top, one that laced up the back with a deep gray ribbon. The leopard lowered his head to hide the fear in his eyes as the stylists sprinkled his hair with black and gray glitter, accenting his animal features. Each added accessory seemed to make his pale skin even paler, almost as if it were as white as snow, his blue eyes had been lined with black kohl, the blue now seemed to glow against their dark lining as well as the pale flawless skin.

Solid black ribbons were wrapped in a lattice pattern along his legs, spanning from his knees down to his ankles. Small silver cuffs were wrapped over the ribbons located at his ankles, a thin, practically invisible chain linked the two shackles together. Similar patterns were placed on his arms with leather straps, each end piece attached to a thick leather cuff that was placed on each wrist. His wrists were connected to the chain that was linked to the open ring on his shock collar, limiting the movement of his arms. Sapphire eyes were clouded with unshed tears, tears of humiliation, tears of artists flocked to him and painted his eyelids with a pale ice blue, emphasizing how exotic his natural eye color was when stumbling upon shifters of such a rare breed.


End file.
